


Stress and Relief

by Shatterpath



Series: Pyramid [33]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Children, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Dynamics, Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: Alex and Lena wait anxiously for the test results...Picks up where 'The Best Accidents' left off.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: Pyramid [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/616513
Comments: 12
Kudos: 68





	Stress and Relief

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe this entire 'verse has only been spread over nine months?????

It took a bit for them to calm down enough to feel like they could be anything approaching normal around others. Tilly knew they were being weird, but needing some time alone to process everything that had been happening lately was not only a legitimate excuse, but the truth.

"We're not going far," Alex promised as she hugged their daughter close. "Maybe to that big island just off the coast you can see on a map? That way, if you need us, or we need you, your auntie can bring us together quick."

"Can Peggy come and stay with me?"

Both mothers laughed at that and Lena kissed her head. "Of course she can. Besides, Empress Luna will enjoy having a minion to boss about. We'll make sure someone is here for you and you can work in the labs whenever you want."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with socializing and sleep," Alex added on and gave Bug another squeeze. "We've all been working our butts off for a long time, and while me and my hand appreciate it, we all deserve a break."

That night sleep was fitful, the couple clinging to one another as though lost at sea. There were few words in the enormity of the 'what if' hanging over them and the dawn was a relief.

With the usual almost eerie knack of knowing what was needed, Angie showed up not twenty minutes later while they were dithering over whether or not to call so they could get an early start. Her grin was warm, her clothes casual and her hands occupied with a small suitcase and an eager Peggy.

"I swear, I'm going to test you for a metahuman power," Lena said with delighted exasperation and got a laugh and hug for it.

"You two are clearly stressed, so I had a feeling you'd be itchy to get going. So I brought over Ambassador Peggy for her duties of kid-entertaining."

The voices brought Luna from whatever hidey-hole she'd wedged herself into. While larger and slightly less gawky with a month of growing, she was still bowled over to be sniffed and licked by the big lab. So the animals led the parents off to their little, who giggled awake at the invasion and delighted on being loved on by all of them. Alex and Lena lingered for long moments as Bug curled herself around the dog while Luna did her best to murder a floppy black ear.

It took effort to pull themselves from the sweet scene, but the lure of solitude in their stressful wait pulled them away.

In general, Lena had been doing her damnedest to be aware of her wealth and privilege. Not just in her upped philanthropy, but in the more immediate setting of her little family. But this new stress was too much and she'd arranged for a helicopter lift from L-Corp to Catalina Island, where a rental car and driver would take them from the airstrip to the tiny town of Avalon. 

Within the hour, they were in the air. The charter service had even procured landing permission at the tiny industrial park east of Avalon, the pilot waiting with them until a taxi finally showed up.

Between Jess, Kara and Cat, a room in a reputable B&B had been procured for their stay. Oh, not the best room, but neither Lena nor Alex cared. It wouldn't be a dump and they would have privacy. That's all that mattered.

There were few words on the journey or in the rented room as they unpacked their few things, and fell into the bed to hold one another tight. Quiet reassurances and affections took up much of their day, though the cooling temperatures of evening coaxed them out for a long walk and dinner on the bay.

Words were gibberish in the enormity of all that had happened and might still happen, but the spiderweb of emotion still bound them together. Lena tried to focus past the noise, gave Alex's hand clutched in hers a little shake. Where they stood on the sand with the sea lapping at their toes, sunset painting them rosy and surreal, they came together in a strong hug that turned down the silent noise.

"I love you," whispered Lena, her softness and scars harsh in her voice. "So much."

Alex just squeezed her harder, relished the feel of her against the meat and machine of her. Voice only a whisper around the high emotions, she echoed the words, meaning them right down to her soul and adding a vow she meant just as much.

"No matter what."

Lena willingly whispered it back.

\----

After another restless night, the couple was exhausted and irritable, making a conscious effort to try and not growl at one another. They made it to an early brunch, dawdling over their meal, before giving up and deciding to head home.

By double-timing it, they were able to grab their small luggage and make the ferry back to National City. Oddly, the rush alleviated their stress instead of worsening it, both of them giggly at the race. Breathless and laughing, they tumbled onto the boat and collapsed onto the closest bench for the ride. Lena wedged herself against the ship's hull with Alex half-cradled against her, playing with the fade. Alex enjoyed the cuddling and leveled a glare of quiet menace at someone giving them the stink-eye. She was so in love that it was easy to forget the outside world sometimes.

"We should have gone to Santa Barbara," Alex said suddenly, her brow creasing in brief consternation before she smiled. Above her, Lena paused in her petting before starting up again.

"A nine month anniversary?" she teased softly, and the mention of nine months had them both lost in thoughts of the maybe-maybe not of the elevated hCG hormone in Lena's blood.

Abruptly, Alex exploded into action, sitting up and twisting to wrap Lena in a loose hug.

"You asked me to marry you," was not what Lena was expecting to hear and a cold jolt of fear made her ache, here and gone in her love's wild smile. "Let's do it. Screw over-making plans. Let's just go."

The rush of adrenaline flowed back in, fear traded for relief traded for euphoria. "You mean it?"

"Yes. Yes, my love. Nothing will make me happier than us, forever."

Lena squirmed to throw her arms around Alex's neck and pepper her face with kisses, their quiet giggling a sweet song.

"You make me so happy, Alex."

Snuggling in close, the whisper made Alex's heart clench in all the good and bad ways. Life had been so hard on her love and she had become so wonderful, despite it. The sweet ache of her name on that beloved voice brought up gentle tears, accompaniment to all the upheaval of emotion since the shock of the blood test in the lab two days ago.

"I love you," was all she could manage around the lump in her throat and Lena snuggled in tighter, lips tickling Alex's neck as she whispered the words right back.

When the ferry arrived in Long Beach, the couple hung back to let the crowd pass before leaving, hand in hand. There was enough traffic through the terminal that cabs hung about and they were quickly on their way downtown, snuggled up in the backseat and oblivious to the world around them.

Exhausted from poor sleep and rollercoastering emotions --not to mention the hard work her body just might be doing for the new life within-- Lena dozed off against Alex, safe in her arms. Alex remained alert, ignoring her own exhaustion, and watched over her love.

With a bit of grumbling and nuzzling, Lena was wakened and they could head into the skyscraper few could suspect what it housed. Instead of the main elevators to the command center, Alex took them to the units that led to more backstage areas. Neither was in the mood for interaction or, god forbid, work.

Even as the doors slid closed behind them, Lena once more clung to Alex, who stroked her back and head tenderly.

"So, Santa Barbara, huh?"

The chuckle that bubbled up from Alex's gut was a welcome sensation. How she loved Lena's sense of humor. Faking nonchalance, she replied, "I mean, we could do Hawaii if you'd rather, Granny'd love it, but--"

Lena interrupted her with a hard, sweet kiss, whispering against her lips, "no. Santa Barbara is perfect. Right back where we began."

"And then back to the old Hudson where the prolog to the began happened."

"Perfect."

When the elevator stopped and the door hummed open, it was a sobering reminder why they were there. Neither moved, frozen in unspoken terror, and Alex had to reach out and press the sensor bar as the door began closing once more. That got them moving, albeit with all the enthusiasm of facing the lions.

"Together," Alex choked out around her tight throat and Lena squeezed the strong right hand she clutched in both of hers, only able to nod.

With forced casualness, Alex led them past several labs occupied with techs, until they found an empty one, its lights off. There, they silently went about the familiar routine of blood drawn --though it took Alex a moment to calm her shaking hands-- and machines set to the task of reading the silent stories in that red viscera.

Glass walls be damned, Alex stood at the side of the exam table and simply held her fiancé while they waited. Lena sagged against her, body trembling faintly, breath too fast in the silence.

It seemed to take forever for the machine to beep.

As before, neither moved for long moments. This time, Lena moved first, hope overcoming terror, and she gave Alex a nudge. Her tiger jumped as though getting her tail tugged and her eyes were huge in her face. Despite the panic, she relaxed into the soft kiss Lena pressed to her lips.

"Together," she whispered and Alex blew out a hard breath and nodded. They crept over the computer as though expecting it to explode, Alex sitting and pulling Lena down onto her knee. A shaking hand on the mouse, she hesitated again, pointer hovering on the button marked 'test results'. Together, they breathed deeply, held one another close, and Alex clicked the button.

And there it was, in raw scientific text on the computer screen. The hGC in Lena's blood had doubled and nearly doubled again, an exponential climb highly uncharacteristic for a normal pregnancy. Alex wasn't really concerned about that, because there was no way they were going to escape the family baby dramas.

Alexandra the fourth was on her way.

\----

After a long shocked quiet, some crying, squealing and lots of kisses, the couple calmed, their hands intertwined over Lena's abdomen.

"My mother is going to kill me for having a shotgun wedding."

The quip completely took Lena by surprise, her giggle a bubble of delight. "I'll bet she never expected to have needed to have that conversation with you, huh?"

Their combined laughter was a relief, a bleeding off more of the pressure of such strong, mixed emotions.

Abruptly full of motion, Alex gave Lena a light swat on the butt to get her standing, hopping to her own feet.

"Come on, let's get home and tell Tilly the news! I want her to be the first."

In love all over again with her sensitive Tiger, Lena willingly took Alex's offered hand and they fled the DEO to rejoin the rest of their little family. 

When they entered the condo, Angie jumped a little where she was hanging out on the giant couch with Luna. Instantly noting the urgency in her pal's body language, there was a riot of curious speculation on her face, but none in her voice. 

"Hey guys, you're early. Good to see you. Til's is down for a nap with Peggy. Do you think I could leave her here for a bit? If I get my ass in gear, I can surprise Kara with lunch. Her jackass boss would have a litter of kittens if I showed up with doggo in tow!"

Relieved with the plan, the couple saw their pal out and spent a bit of time fussing over Luna and getting their things put away.

Lena found herself drawn to the balcony off of the living room, the late afternoon sunlight slanting under the recent addition of a canopy. That and the whole outdoor space enclosed in a light frame and window screening for Luna's safety had the benefit of keeping out burning sunlight and insects both. Facing west, the balcony caught the slowly setting sun and the breeze off the ocean that glittered in the distance. 

Her quiet was not disturbed when Alex joined her, wrapping strong arms around her to cuddle into her back. They silently whiled away the time until sounds through the open door alerted them to their awakened daughter. When they stepped back into the condo, a sleepy Bug blinked at them, a bit confused by their being early.

"Hey, Bug, c'mere," Alex coaxed, arms open for a hug. Despite hearing a thrum of something like stress in her mama's voice, Matilda could not resist the haven of those strong arms. Aware how sensitive this scarred child was, Alex simply squeezed her close until the trembles stopped. With the quiet compassion so characteristic of her, Lena loosely snuggled them both.

Once Bug breathed deeply and her full-body grip became a hug instead of a clutch, her mothers kissed her head and Alex dropped the news.

"So, you're going to be a big sister, sweetheart."

For a moment, Bug didn't react, then pulled her head back hard enough to clonk her skull against their chins. "What?"

Lena stroked her wiry hair and pressed a kiss to her brow. "Your mama's telling the truth. Somehow, the lab accident resulted in a DNA mix and implantation."

As Bug pondered the big news, her mothers watched her expressive face go from 'scientific curiosity' to 'abused child' and raced to reassure her.

"No, no, babygirl, stop that thought right there," Alex said firmly and with all the love she held for this strange, wonderful little girl. "We promised forever and we mean it. You are our first child and you will always be our first child." Raising the cybernetic hand her geniuses had built for her, Alex tenderly stroked over Tilly's face and scalp. "We chose you," she said with quiet gravity, voice cracking with the weight of emotion. "Fought and bled for you. We helped you face some of your demons and you helped us too."

"Yes," Lena sobbed softly, gripping her girls close. "Yes to all of it. Darling Matilda, you are our first child and we will always love you, no matter what."

For long moments, the three of them simply held one another, Tilly mumbling in her birdlike language, caught between adoration and alarm. Alex finally huffed a sound that was as much a breathing out of stress as a soft laugh. "A second child simply means that things will be louder and crazier and you will be a big sister."

For a long couple of heartbeats, the words still didn't seem to register, then Tilly leaned away from her mothers, her face transforming as fear became wonder. "I get to be a big sister?"

Lena kissed her forehead tenderly and stroked the wiry hair. "Yes, darling. And as your mama can tell you, it's a lifelong role. The next Alexandra will need plenty of guidance; call it a hunch."

And with love and gentle amusement, the deal was set.

**Author's Note:**

> shatterpath- as much as I love the future mini agentcorps, Bug has a special place in my heart. they CHOSE her, fought and bled for her, faced their demons for her and that just gives me the best feels  
> mandylynnw- And they deserve bug just as much as she deserves them.


End file.
